The present invention relates to Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, more particularly to visual IVR systems that display IVR menu on capable user terminals, and even more particularly to a third-party visual IVR directory system that serves multiple IVR-enabled organizations and general public that seek information therefrom.
Conventional IVR systems demand listeners (or users) to pay undivided attention while listening to the voice menus thereof. And sometimes, the user might even have to remember the menu options with their respective keys. Any lapse of attention on the part of a user would mean that the voice menu has to be ‘taken from the top.’ Another setback is the amount of time the user needs to wait till the menu option of his/her choice arrives, which could be forever given the complex and lengthy menus and submenus. Yet another setback is yet another inconvenient requirement on the part of the user to lower his/her telephonic device every time he/she needs press a key in response to voice menu and submenu options so as to navigate therethrough. These only lead to the frustration to the user instead of delivering a quick prompt service. But thanks to today's communication networks and smartphones, visual IVR systems are not far away.
However, even though there is a promise of visual IVR systems in the near future, there still is no solution to coping up with the lengthy call queues or call wait times. During peak times, the users might even need to wait for times longer than usual before being responded to. Although, some IVR systems today provide call wait times and queue lengths, still the user cannot completely relax as what is provided by IVR systems are approximates and therefore, it is incumbent on the user to still be on his/her guard. There is surely a need in the art for such a visual IVR system that alerts the user at an appropriate time so that, the user can meanwhile carryout his/her activities. There is also a need in the art for such a visual IVR system that offers activity options for the user to be engaged during the annoying call wait times. Yet another desirable visual IVR system would be the one that alerts the user of a time when the call volume to an IVR system is low.